The Constitution of the Kingdom

Paul and his close companion workers learned to be poor in spirit. Here also they had no confidence in themselves but only in the grace of Christ.

" For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh." ( Phil 3:2)

The flesh there means the whole totality of the fallen man as from Adam. He and his companion Christian workers had no confidence in the fallen man. In themselves they were "poor in spirit". Yet in Christ Jesus they had their confident boast. And Christ was the Spirit by whom they labored, endured, ministered and served. Theirs was the kingdom of the heavens in its stage of reality.

The reward of the manifestation of the kingdom will be theirs in the millennial time. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens."

Bear with a third example of "poor in spirit" for the possession of the kingdom of the heavens.

Again, Paul wanted always to be found in Christ, subjectively drawing from all the righteousness from living in oneness with Christ - the available Christ. He was poor in spirit in himself. He drew all his power for righteous living from being inwardly one with Christ.

"And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is out of God and based on faith." (Phil. 3:9)

As Christians we have to pray - 'Lord Jesus, YOU have to be my wisdom. Lord Jesus YOU have to be my endurance. Lord Jesus, YOU have to be my long suffering, my forgiveness, my love, my honesty. "

In ourselves we not sufficient, not competent, and not self confident. As followers of Jesus we have to have Jesus Himself, Who is alive and available as the Spirit of Christ, to be everything we need. And this we do by faith.

He wants to be everything we need. All we are in ourselves has been crucified with Him on the cross. We fallen men of Adam have all been "fired". We have all been laid off. God has judged the whole fallen humanity as useless. He has not left us in that state. He has provided a MAN to be our all. Christ. And by faith we appropriate all that He is.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens."

They only want to be found in Christ. They through faith apply Christ to deeper and deeper realms of their lives until Christ permeates them. And possessing Christ living through them they possess the reality of the kingdom of the heavens.

When Christ comes back the manifestation of that reality will become visible to the world as a reward.

I move on to the second axiom of the Constitution of the kingdom of the heavens.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matt. 5:4)

This mourning is the sadness over the corruption of the world.
This is a mourning for the fallen and corrupted state of the human race apart from God's rule.

I use to regard any sadness as what was implied here. IE. I mourn that my automobile's transmission needs fixing, which will cost me $1,000. No, i don't think ANY kind of mourning is meant here. Though God can comfort us on many kinds of sadness.
That is true.

The mourning here is a mourning for the state of sinfulness and degradation and ruination of the human society. Those who are mourning this state in pursuit of God's rule and God's administration, will be COMFORTED. They will see "the desire of nations" come establish His reign.

But before that second coming they will be comforted in partaking of the reality of the coming reign. Though outwardly chaos seems to rule, they know that they are inwardly in a realm of God's government - an unshakable kingdom which cannot be destroyed.

For this reason Paul says that the kingdom of God is TODAY - righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

" For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 14:17)

Paul does not postpone the kingdom entirely as if the kingdom is only in existence after the second coming of Jesus. He says the normal overcoming church life today, is the kingdom of God. Instead of mourning the degradedation there is righteousness and peace and JOY in the Holy Spirit..

Surrounding there is much to mourn. But in the practical reality of the kingdom of the heavens in the church age, there can be righteousness and peace and joy in the realm of Christ in His form as "the Holy Spirit".

In the midst of a mournful world there is a kingdom of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. So -

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

This is the second axiom of the constitution of the kingdom of the heavens.

There is difference between the mourning that Jesus speaks of and a gloating that some people have.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Many Atheists seem to be dismayed. Even they appear to mourn the bad state of Christianity. But they are comforted by their gloating over the failures of Christians. They are happy that because of the problems in Christiandom their Atheism is confirmed. "There must not be any God" they think.

This is gloating. This is not mourning as Jesus speaks of. There is often a glee from posters quick to publish about religions' failings or that the religious are defeated by their own sinning.

"Get a load of THIS!" is the tone of their threads.

This is not the mourning that God will comfort. This kind of gloating is seeking comfort from the accuser of the Christian brothers who accuses them before God day and night (Rev. 12:10). The end of this kind of life will not be to be comforted.

The end of this kind of glee over the failures of God's people will be to realize that He ALWAYS had some who overcame. He always had a remnant who rose to a level of normality. That is those who lived in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens.

If we seek to live in the reality of the kingdom we will one day be rewarded with the MANIFESTATION of that kingdom.

The gloaters gloat over the negative FACADE which I called " the APPEARANCE of the kingdom of the heavens."

Remember. I said to understand Matthew there is the mention of the kingdom in three different aspects.

1.) Its reality (Positive)

2.) Its facade or appearance (Negative)

3.) Is manifestation or reward (Positive)

The gloaters are happy because their desire to do away with God and God's administration is seemingly confirmed by the Appearance of the kingdom of the heavens. The fallen thing appears to be related to the Gospel. It seems to have something to do with the kingdom of the heavens and God's rule. But it is within lacking reality. it is a facade of outward show. It is within full of unreality and hypocrisy.

This Constitution of the kingdom relates to the reality of being under God's administration.

Originally posted by FMF
There are Christians here you can ask. I am a non-Christian. Whether or not what my awareness of the "Kingdom of the Heavens" used to be when I was a Christian coincides with what your happens to be, or whether I had my theology right or wrong back when I was a Christian, is completely immaterial.

Lets just say then that for twenty years you professed a belief whose central tenet you are now at a loss to explain.

Jaywill seems unaware what the Kingdom of the Heavens is, FMF refuses to tell us. Can anyone tell us what the Kingdom of the heavens is? Does anyone else find it incredulous that Christians and former Christians are oblivious to the central tenet of a belief system they profess or have professed. I do.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Lets just say then that for twenty years you professed a belief whose central tenet you are now at a loss to explain.

Whereas you continue to profess a belief that everyone is at a loss to explain.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Can anyone tell us what the Kingdom of the heavens is? Is it not incredulous that the central teaching of Christianity is inexplicable for many Christians?

In my opinion the Kingdom of God is composed of two parts.
The first part on the earth with Christ as King, for a finite period in which Christ will eliminate sin and death. When death is conquered Christ will hand over the Kingdom to God and God will be all in all. This is the second part and will last for all eternity. All things will be new, new heavens and new earth and in the New Jerusalem. Mankind will be no more and all inhabitants will be spirit beings with bodies fashioned like that of Jesus.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Jaywill seems unaware what the Kingdom of the Heavens is, FMF refuses to tell us. Can anyone tell us what the Kingdom of the heavens is? Does anyone else find it incredulous that Christians and former Christians are oblivious to the central tenet of a belief system they profess or have professed. I do.

The kingdom of the heavens in the book of Matthew is the overcoming Christian church life and the reward of the millennial kingdom to the overcomers.

It starts therefore with the creation of the New Testament church and terminates with the end of the millennial kingdom.

It is a subsection of the overall reign of the kingdom of God. The relationship of the kingdom of the heavens to the kingdom of God is like the relationship of the state of California to the United States.

To be in the California is necessarily to be in the US.
But to be in the US may not necessarily be to be in the state of California.

From eternity to eternity exists the kingdom of God.
But a section of this, the kingdom of the heavens, is what the book of Matthew covers.

That is your brief answer. And I can back it up. But I will not at this time devote time to backing it up to you because it is important to cover the Constitution of the Kingdom in of the Heavens this thread.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Lets just say then that for twenty years you professed a belief whose central tenet you are now at a loss to explain.

I have no interest in trying to explain what I believed a decade or two or three ago. If I am at a loss, it's perhaps to do with why you'd think, even for one moment, that I would want or need to do so.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Can anyone tell us what the Kingdom of the heavens is? Does anyone else find it incredulous that Christians and former Christians are oblivious to the central tenet of a belief system they profess or have professed. I do.

Perhaps Christians simply not answering your question is more to do with the lack of esteem in which you are held rather than to do with their knowledge - or supposed lack of it - about their own beliefs. Just a thought.

Ah, I see sonship has offered you his answer.

So far in speaking of Matthew 5 no real demand has been spoken of yet. I mean as most consider man's responsibility to God, This is the kind of thing Rajk999 and ToO are eager to want to talk about, usually to prove that no good Christians are around.

But the verses so far are laying a ground work saying what kind of people possess the kingdom of the heavens. The poor in spirit and those who mourn for the fallen world which is apart from God's rule.

Now after the mourning over the unrighteousness of the world we come to the verse about who will inherit the kingdom of the heavens. The meek. That is those who allow God to be their fighter and the One who vindicates them for the ownership of the planet.

Principle number three -

" Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth . " (v.5)

Great countries with huge armies will not eventually inherit the earth. Those who boast in guns will not eventually inherit the earth. Neither will those who trust in mammon or in missiles will finally inherit the earth.

"The meek" are an extension of the "poor in spirit". In themselves they are not mighty and powerful. But they have One standing for them who IS mighty and powerful. And through Him they will inherit the reward of co-reigning over the earth. They will inherit the planet in the millennium.

They mourn today over the fallen society. Yet they live in the reality of Christ as their inward King. When Christ returns physically that which is inward will be given to them outwardly in glorious splendor as a reward. They will inherit the earth.

So the Lord Jesus' third principle of the kingdom of the heavens is that this meekness in God, trusting in God for their full vindication, will result in their inheriting the globe.

The planet is big. But there have been many many saints down through the ages who have lived in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. Many died in waiting. Many fell asleep in Christ. This was not in vain. Of the vast majority of believers a minority of those normal ones who lived in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens will be resurrected to inherit the planet.

God knows exactly what He is doing. Even in prolonging the church age He knows what He is doing. Even in delaying His coming and allowing more over the earth to hear the Gospel, He knows what He is doing.

Out of quantity He will select and reward quality. Anyone here today still have the life to read this post still has opportunity to repent and join those meek ones who will inherit the earth.

That is if they repent to live in the reality that Jesus Christ is the Savior and indwelling King to them.

Originally posted by sonship
So far in speaking of [b]Matthew 5 no real demand has been spoken of yet. I mean as most consider man's responsibility to God, This is the kind of thing Rajk999 and ToO are eager to want to talk about, usually to prove that no good Christians are around.

But the verses so far are laying a ground work saying what kind of people possess the kingdom of ...[text shortened]... they repent to live in the reality that Jesus Christ is the Savior and indwelling King to them.[/b]

There are lots of good Christians and good people of all religions all over the world.

You are too blind to see what Im saying which is that among the Christian community, there are some that are evil and crooked and these will not enter into the Kingdom of God.

Originally posted by Rajk999
There are lots of good Christians and good people of all religions all over the world.

You are too blind to see what Im saying which is that among the Christian community, there are some that are evil and crooked and these will not enter into the Kingdom of God.

In this thread I am going to be sympathetic to what is constantly a concern you express. But it will take me some more time to arrive at those clear demands.

I'll get there. You may have to just be patient.
For now I want again to say that the kingdom people have no such self confidence that they can by their own power live unto God.

We will build up the way to the sheer demand of the kingdom of the heavens as the Lord Jesus seemed to gradually build up to its demand.

Understand, that Jesus was absolutely talking about Himself.
He was describing how He Himself had lived and continued to live.

Jesus, in speaking of the qualifications of entering into the kingdom was absolutely talking about Himself and the way HE LIVED. And that is precisely why the section ends in this manner.

" And when Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astounded at His teaching,

For He taught them as One having authority and not like their scribes." (Matt. 7:28,29)

In other words the talk He talked had authority because He Himself absolutely WALKED that way. He walked the walk. He was the real embodiment of the kingdom. And apart from having Him none of us can make it.